There have been attempts to use electrically ignited ammunition in multiple-shot handguns. Conventional multiple-shot handguns that can fire electrically ignitable cartridges include an electric circuit for the generation of the ignition voltage. Such weapons also include a breech and a firing pin held in the breech, whose ignition tip rests on the cartridge bottom of a loaded cartridge when the breech is closed. Some examples of these conventional firearms are described in German Patent 29 49 130, U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,242, and WIPO publications WO 98/55817 and WO 2004/010070.
One advantage of electronically ignited ammunition is that the ammunition will not be ignited by an inadvertent impact, as may occur, for example, in the case of an accidentally fired conventional cartridge. A further advantage of electronically ignited ammunition is the fact that such ammunition is not widespread and cannot be produced with conventional loading components—at least not without great trouble or difficulty. Thus, unauthorized persons cannot procure such ammunition, even in low quantity, without expending considerable time and effort.
However, the previous efforts to construct a handgun that can electronically ignite ammunition that is simple and reliable have many disadvantages. For example, some of the conventional weapons described above have long signal lines that fail frequently and easily, and some have sliding contacts that can become soiled. In addition, many of these handguns with electronic ignition do not have useful lives as long as conventional handguns, do not have a comparable supply of ammunition available as do conventional handguns, and are not safer in function and cheaper in production than comparable conventional weapons.
Furthermore, handguns, such as those described above and other self-loading pistols, are locked during firing in order to shoot a powerful cartridge. However, charging some of these weapons sometimes requires an unjustifiable expenditure of force.